Cosy mysteries are fast becoming a popular genre. Instead of gritty and violent crime, cosy mysteries are often more of a gentle jigsaw puzzle of clues for the reader to put together along with an amateur sleuth. Usually set in a small town, cosy mysteries can work well as a series. If written well, the reader will invest in the characters and their lives. I have put together some articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos with tips and guidelines to consider when writing a cosy mystery.
This article from Masterclass identifies 3 elements that can often be found in a cosy mystery novel: the main character is usually an amateur sleuth, the action centred around a small town, and don’t feature scenes with grotesque violence. 5 tips are shared with the writer on how to craft a cosy mystery.
Writer’s Digest says that although cosy mysteries might place the murder off the page, they keep the clues centre stage. The reader is invited to partner with the sleuth in finding the killer before the last page. In the five tips shared here, they remind you to sprinkle a trail of breadcrumbs but add plenty of red herrings.
The cosy mystery takes a gentler, character-focused approach to crime. Adult themes are absent or mostly implied. Advice is given to make your sleuths relatable and have them solve crimes by engaging in an integrated way with the community. The communities in cosy mysteries are often close-knit with a few quirky characters.
This article tells us that the appeal of cosy mysteries is that the crime is solved by everyday folks like us who reluctantly participate and solve the mystery using common sense. Cosy mysteries use plot devices to further the confusion of clues, suspects, and timelines. 16 steps to write a cosy mystery are introduced to the writer including revealing all clues to the reader but obscuring them with red herrings and false leads, giving the story a theme, occupation, or hobby to tie it together, and adding humorous components and quirky characters.
Writing World points out some important things to consider when writing a cosy mystery such as the criminal is usually motivated by human traits of greed, jealousy, or revenge. You won’t find many serial or thrill killers in this genre. It discusses cosy characters, settings, and plots.
PODCASTS
In this episode, Sara Rosett talks about the elements of a typical cosy mystery. She advises you to consider adding a vocation like cooking or needlework to connect with your readers and to have a pet. Setting your story in a small town or contained setting like a resort or cruise ship works really well in this genre too.
The Creative Penn podcast talks about the increased need for happy stories during difficult times and how readers relate to cosy mysteries. It discusses the essential tropes of a cosy mystery.
YOUTUBE
Fiction Technician with Jane Kalmes discusses the 5 essential elements of the cosy mystery. She lays the conventions of the genre and gives you guidelines to write your own.
Lisa Siefert talks about the ten essential elements of cosy mysteries.
While cosy mysteries certainly have a lighter tone than their parent crime genre, these murder stories entertain while not forgetting it’s dealing with lost lives and the pursuit of justice. Crafting a relatable set of characters, some of them a bit quirky, a small setting, and a sense of justice prevailing can hook your reader in for more than one novel. I hope you have found this week’s column helpful. As always if there are any topics you want me to cover please get in touch.
(c) Lucy O’Callaghan
